Throw The Myrrh In His Eyes! It Burns!

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Throw The Myrrh In His Eyes! It Burns!"
Release Date: January 8, 2025
Hosted by iHeartPodcasts

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Introduction

In the January 8, 2025 episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty dive into a multitude of pressing issues, primarily focusing on the catastrophic wildfires engulfing Los Angeles County. The episode, aptly titled "Throw The Myrrh In His Eyes! It Burns!", not only highlights the immediate dangers posed by the fires but also explores the broader implications for homeowners, insurance companies, and the housing market. Interspersed with humor and candid conversations, the hosts also touch upon political controversies, climate change, and societal challenges.

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Catastrophic Wildfires in Los Angeles

Immediate Impact and Chaos

The episode opens with Armstrong and Getty discussing the devastating wildfires raging in Los Angeles County. Joe Getty paints a vivid picture of the chaos:

Joe Getty [01:10]: "Man, if you haven't watched any of those videos, holy crap, I don't even know what you say about that. Hell descends upon you like that 100-hour winds, fire and traveling at like a mile every 30 seconds."

They detail the rapid spread of fires, the ensuing darkness due to power outages, and the frantic attempts of residents trying to flee, often finding themselves stuck in traffic or forced to abandon their vehicles:

Joe Getty [02:09]: "Electricity off, pitch dark, can't see anything. Why there's so much traffic, you don't know if you're gonna be able to get out or stuck in traffic. People fleeing their cars and running for the ocean. Insane."

Insurance Companies Dropping Coverage

A significant portion of the discussion centers on the alarming trend of insurance companies retracting fire coverage in fire-prone areas like Los Angeles. Armstrong emphasizes the predicament homeowners face:

Jack Armstrong [02:33]: "Several of the big insurers, or at least one that I'm certain of, have dropped fire coverage for that area. And people were scrambling to figure out what to do when the fires began."

This leaves homeowners in a precarious position, struggling to secure affordable insurance or facing potential financial ruin if disasters strike.

Broader Implications for the Housing Market

The hosts delve into the potential long-term effects on the housing market, highlighting the intertwined relationship between homeowners, insurance companies, and banks:

Jack Armstrong [03:12]: "A huge percentage of the personal property in the United States is mortgaged. And so you have banks... that have billions, trillions of dollars worth of mortgages out there. And if there's no insurance on those properties, well then the big banks would lose their arses and that's not, you know, acceptable for a number of reasons."

Joe Getty adds urgency to the conversation, stressing the societal importance of affordable homeownership:

Joe Getty [04:03]: "There has to be a thing. It can't be only for, you know, a tiny percentage of people that can afford homes and insurance."

The discussion underscores a looming financial crisis that could reshape the housing landscape for decades.

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Health Concerns and the Pandemic’s Lingering Effects

The conversation shifts to personal stories about health challenges faced by the hosts and their families, reflecting broader societal health concerns exacerbated by recent events:

Katie [05:46]: "Yeah, I had so much chest pain that I was worried I was going to end up in an urgent care because I didn't know like if this was bird pneumonia or whatever."

The dialogue touches upon the heightened vulnerability to diseases, possibly hinting at the long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other emerging health issues.

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Climate Change and Natural Disasters

Armstrong and Getty explore the escalating frequency and intensity of natural disasters, attributing part of the surge to climate change:

Katie [07:24]: "I have not ever had a flu like this. That wasn't Covid."

Jack Armstrong [07:53]: "Is Jack Henning at the Wog? The wrath of God."

While maintaining a mix of humor, the hosts acknowledge the severe implications of a changing climate on daily life and infrastructure.

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Political Commentary: Trump's Greenland Announcement

A substantial segment of the episode is dedicated to discussing former President Donald Trump's controversial statements regarding Greenland's potential annexation:

Jack Armstrong [18:27]: "Trump made a handful of really intriguing statements... like the Gulf of Mexico is our golf now. Give it back."

Jack Armstrong [21:32]: "The Greenland thing to me is really intriguing... those new routes between Asia, Europe and America take a fraction of the time compared to the Panama or Suez Canals."

The hosts dissect the geopolitical significance of Greenland, exploring its strategic importance amidst climate-induced changes:

Jack Armstrong [22:09]: "Greenland and Alaskan... and our Scandinavian friends in Finland and Sweden means we could rival Russia for who controls these new routes."

They also reference historical attempts by the U.S. to purchase Greenland, highlighting the enduring complexities of such geopolitical maneuvers.

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Social and Cultural Observations

The conversation takes a lighter turn as the hosts share personal anecdotes and societal observations, blending humor with critique:

Jack Armstrong [16:17]: "We’re going to have a little transition period to deprogram them off their current socialist government mindset."

Jack Armstrong [15:56]: "Rudeness. Not in my America."

These segments provide a glimpse into the hosts' perspectives on cultural norms and societal behaviors, often with a satirical edge.

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Media and Fact-Checking Controversies

Armstrong and Getty address recent developments in media practices, particularly Facebook's shift away from professional fact-checkers:

Katie [32:54]: "From Reuters made a shelves fact checking in policy reversal ahead of Trump administration."

Jack Armstrong [33:02]: "I have a nuanced view of the issue, Jack, which I will be sharing with you."

The hosts express skepticism about the motivations behind these changes, hinting at political pressures and the influence of social media dynamics on public discourse.

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Listener Engagement and Mailbag Segment

The hosts actively engage with their audience through the Mailbag segment, addressing listener comments and questions. They encourage listeners to submit their thoughts via email and social media, fostering a sense of community and interaction.

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

As the episode wraps up, Armstrong and Getty reflect on the day's discussions, reiterating the gravity of the wildfires and the interconnectedness of environmental, economic, and political factors shaping the current landscape. They emphasize the need for informed decision-making and proactive measures to navigate the challenges ahead.

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Notable Quotes

• Joe Getty [01:10]: "Hell descends upon you like that 100-hour winds, fire and traveling at like a mile every 30 seconds."
• Jack Armstrong [02:33]: "If there's no insurance on those properties, well then the big banks would lose their arses and that's not, you know, acceptable for a number of reasons."
• Jack Armstrong [18:27]: "We'll change the maps. I don't care. I'll pay for it. It's our Gulf now. Give it back."
• Jack Armstrong [21:32]: "If we are going to be in charge of protecting it and projecting the power... we gotta get a better deal."

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Key Takeaways

1. Wildfires in Los Angeles: Intensifying fires are causing widespread evacuations and chaos, exacerbated by insufficient insurance coverage for homeowners.
2. Insurance and Housing Market Crisis: The withdrawal of fire coverage by major insurers threatens the stability of the housing market and poses significant risks to financial institutions.
3. Geopolitical Dynamics: Discussions around Greenland’s strategic importance highlight the shifting geopolitical landscape influenced by climate change and emerging sea routes.
4. Media Integrity Concerns: The episode raises alarms about the reliability of fact-checking practices in major social media platforms amidst political influences.
5. Climate and Health: The intersection of climate change and public health issues underscores the multifaceted challenges facing society today.

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Armstrong & Getty On Demand continues to provide insightful and engaging discussions on the events shaping our world, blending serious analysis with relatable humor. Whether addressing natural disasters, political maneuvers, or cultural shifts, the hosts ensure listeners are both informed and entertained.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln Radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now, here's Armstrong. Get it.

[Joe Getty]

Live from Studio C. I.

[Jack Armstrong]

Don'T see you, senor.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well you will, surely. It's a dimly lit room deep within the bowels of the Armstrong and Getty communications compound. And hey, y'all, Midday week, hump day. We're under the tutelage of our general manager.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was going to go with Greenland, comma usa. But instead, Good Lord. The people of Los Angeles county, the apocalypse is upon la.

[Joe Getty]

Man, if you haven't watched any of those videos, holy crap, I don't even know what you say about that. Hell descends upon you like that 100 hour winds, fire and traveling at like a mile every 30 seconds.

[Jack Armstrong]

And today could be every bit as bad or worse.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I was just hearing a report that they said today might be worse and there are many, many fires all over the area. The super fancy Hollywood type houses get the most attention always, but there's fires all over. I was actually on the phone with a number of people last night who were fleeing for their lives. Electricity off, pitch dark, can't see anything. Why there's so much traffic, you don't know if you're gonna be able to get out or stuck in traffic. People fleeing their cars and running for the ocean. Insane.

[Jack Armstrong]

And the minute that the dust settles on this, and we certainly pray that the loss of life is zero or certainly as little as possible, the big story is going to be the fact that several of the big insurers, or at least one that I'm certain of, have dropped fire coverage for that area. And people were scrambling to figure out what to do when the fires began.

[Joe Getty]

And this was as according to a friend of ours who had to flee and doesn't even know if his house is still up or not, this was as recently as a couple of weeks ago in that neighborhood they dropped the fire coverage.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right, right.

[Joe Getty]

That is a problem. Well, you've been talking for a long time about this is going to have to come to a head at some point with the banks and the insurance companies in various states. Whether you're talking about fires, hurricanes, whatever, how are we going to deal with this? Because houses have to be insured, the insurance has to be affordable enough that people can buy houses.

[Michael]

I don't know how this all gets.

[Jack Armstrong]

Worked out or it might just completely distort the housing market in a way that will take decades to untangle. If you've never considered the very, very short version of it is you have to keep in that a huge percentage of the personal property in the United States is mortgaged. And so you have banks, including some of the big banks or even Fannie Mae and organizations like that, that have billions, trillions of dollars worth of mortgages out there. And if there's no insurance on those properties, well then the big banks would lose their arses and that's not, you know, acceptable for a number of reasons. So yeah, we're definitely moving toward something like a homeowner's insurance CR in the US and not just like in Florida and in California. All over the place.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And you know, continuing with what you were just saying there, that's the interest the banks have and then we, the people as a society have, you know, a great interest in people being able to own homes. I mean, there has to be a thing. It can't be a, only for, you know, a tiny percentage of people that can afford homes and insurance.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Or self insure. My house burns down, I build it again. Ho hum. Yeah, that's, that's a tiny percentage of people. It'll be interesting to see this play out and it could well be. It's almost certainly going to be on Trump's watch.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right.

[Jack Armstrong]

First, why do I mention the President? Congress writes laws or they used to.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. People have been listening for a long time. Know I had a fire. We had a fire on our farm about five years ago and I got to experience in person with flames around me, which melted my shoes, how fast a fire travels when it's really windy outside. And until I had seen it in person, I had no idea. But it just, it can go from a spark to your. You can't see anything but smoke and flames in seconds. It's just shocking. And that was happening all over LA yesterday and today.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. So fingers crossed, prayers, whatever. And on we go.

[Joe Getty]

I'm walking in the door. Michael, the door open, please.

[Jack Armstrong]

There he is.

[Michael]

Hey everybody. How you doing?

[Jack Armstrong]

Fine. How's Katie doing? That's what I want to know. Poor Katie, ailing with one of the several bugs ravage. Oh, stop it. Ravaging the country.

[Michael]

I heard, I heard her sneeze a chill car.

[Katie]

I'm doing, I'm doing better today. Yesterday, man, I had so much chest pain that I was worried I was going to end up in an urgent care because I didn't know like if this was bird pneumonia or whatever.

[Michael]

Exactly. Monkey, bird pox pneumonia, murder, hornet pneumonia. I don't know exactly.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. Exactly. Atmospheric River Covid.

[Katie]

Now I'm. I'm back and with a deeper voice than ever. So.

[Michael]

So, okay, so I'm glad that that came up, because I've been trying to figure out, like, did.

[Jack Armstrong]

Did our.

[Michael]

All of our brains get broken with the pandemic, or is all climate stuff and diseases worse than they used to be? Is it. Does it just seem like it is, or it just seem. Everything seems more extreme than it used to be?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I don't know. I think part of that is media. My wife had a cold last week and remarked that. I think she said, I haven't had a cold since the year 2020.

[Michael]

Good for her.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it may be that it's just, you know, we're getting used to it again. The. The. The slog through the minor diseases that afflict humanity. I'm not diagnosing you as minor, Katie. We're concerned. Chest pain doesn't sound good to me.

[Katie]

No, when I. When I would cough, I would double over, and I'm going, okay, this is not working. But I got Covid a couple years ago, and I said I had never been sick like that until I got Covid. And I. I can say that I have not ever had a flu like this. That wasn't Covid.

[Michael]

I know my son has been sick for a week, and sick in a way that was beyond what a normal cold is like you're talking about. And we did the COVID test. It wasn't Covid. He doesn't appear to have sexed up a bird or whatever you do to get bird pox.

[Jack Armstrong]

I believe that is it. Yes. All right.

[Katie]

I didn't do that just to kill any rumor.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, let's say Internet settle down and.

[Michael]

He got LA burning down, and the mountains of North Carolina flooded and just. I don't know, maybe it just seems like things are worse because of media cover. Just. Michael.

[Jack Armstrong]

No. Is Jack Henning at the Wog? The wrath of God.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not. I'm not going down the climate change road, but it could be the wrath of God. Yes, Michael.

[Jack Armstrong]

All I was gonna say is, yeah, it's only January 8th, and look at what's already happened. Yeah, well, so have you come up with a slogan? Because staying alive in 25 might be a good one.

[Michael]

Whoa, boy. This seems a little close to the bone. Doesn't every single day.

[Jack Armstrong]

It does. Yeah, it does. I'd. I'd prefer other choices, but that's your. That's your committee.

[Michael]

I'm a disc jockey. I don't know if I need to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Focus on staying right term again ever. Right.

[Michael]

Let's start the show officially yourself, then we'll get to some more news of the day. I'm Jack Armstrong, he's Joe Getty on this. It is Wednesday, January 8, the year 2025. Staying alive in 25. We are Armstrong and Getty and we approve of this program.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's leap into action then, officially, according to FCC rules and regulations. Here we go at Mark.

[Unnamed Reporter]

What you see the, the remnants of flames. Those were all homes. And as you drive down pch, you couldn't even see the water because they.

[Jack Armstrong]

Were home after home after home.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Now they are all gone. And as he's going to pan all the way over to those lights far down there, those were all homes, you guys. They're gone.

[Michael]

Yeah, like a whole street of homes just. They're gone. They don't exist anymore. And people are going to come back and find that out. And so that's the Palisades area and we have a, a friend who lives in that area and he doesn't know if his house still exists. And then I was talking to people in the Pasadena Altadena area where I, which I know very, very well, and I've hiked around those hills and everything many, many times. And it's burning down a senior center that is burned completely to the ground in the Pasadena area. And for whatever reason, I think this comes out of the paradise fire that also was in California, Northern California. Horrible death from that. The idea of trying to get away in your car and being stuck in traffic, I find like the most terrifying of all things.

[Jack Armstrong]

Just right.

[Michael]

Oh, my God.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and there are folks saying, hey, if you have to abandon your car, leave the keys in it so we can move it to let the emergency vehicles through and blah, blah, blah. You know, the idea of leaving your keys in your car in LA is practically hilarious in any other context. But yeah, it's chaos. It's the disaster in Maui style again, not the loss of life thus far, partly because, you know, there are multiple routes in and out of everywhere in la. None of them work worth a damn most times of the day. But thank God so far. Okay, from what I've heard, yeah, so.

[Michael]

People were in the traffic jam, fire was getting closer. They're afraid they're gonna burn up sitting in their cars like we've seen in other places in the country in the last couple of years. So they abandoned their cars, took off. There were no, there was no way to get the cars out of there. So they started bulldozing cars out of the way to try to get the fire trucks through. Then late in the day yesterday, they put out the alert. I saw Bill Malusion of Fox tweet this out that they put out the alert. Hey, anybody who's a firefighter, whether you're on duty or not, we need your help. And he said he's never seen that in any disaster in LA history. After decades of covering it where they're like that desperate for more help then.

[Jack Armstrong]

The wind was from any from. We're talking about any town and county within earshot.

[Michael]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not just L. A.

[Michael]

And, and then last night they called off all like helicopter, plane, rescue, dropping water, all that sort of stuff because the wind was too bad, so they couldn' fly anything. And also you couldn't see from the air get those kind of reports because nobody could fly. So. Yeah, and it's gonna be worse today, as you said. So that's quite the deal. We'll keep our eye on it. How does Mailbag look?

[Jack Armstrong]

Outstanding.

[Joe Getty]

Cool.

[Michael]

It's on the way. Here's our text line. 415295K. FTC Armstrong and Gettysburg. So the Facebook no more fact checker story continues to get a lot of attention, mostly from the. Hold on, quit trying to cover yourself in glory. Like your main interest is making the America freer better place to live and not the fact that you're just trying to get your business, have your business ruined by Trump and the incoming Republican Party. So more on that coming up later.

[Jack Armstrong]

I have a nuanced view of the issue, Jack, which I will be sharing with you. I can't wait to get to that. Also, some bonus mailbag coming up in a little bit. All having to do with Trump's ideas of annexing this, that and the other that controversy. We'll sprinkle a bit of that into Mailbag proper first, your freedom loving quote of the day.

[Michael]

I love it when you bring nuance to a story.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's what I'm all about. Our series on Beginnings, this from Jim Rohn, whose work I do not know and I didn't have time to look up who he is, but I like this. Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.

[Michael]

Wow, that's really good. I say that I like that. I say that not as well to my kids all the time.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, yeah. There is never a downside to learning things.

[Michael]

You know what? And that fits in with the controversial Vivek Ramaswamy tweet about American kids versus foreign kids and the culture and everything like that that got so much attention during the break. We'll have to talk about that later. That's perfect. Perfect.

[Jack Armstrong]

Perfectly. We'll kind of touch on it right now during Mailbag, and I'll tell you why.

[Michael]

That's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Drop us a note. Mailbagarmstrongetty.com Michael in Washington State writes, well, he suggests he likes staying alive in 25, given how crazy the start of the year has been. But the most popular choice, though, is Cut the jive in 25, based on. Remember, at the end of last year, my new slogan is Cut the Crap. And what I mean by that is there are so many things that have been foisted upon us, often by the progressive left and our universities and media, that are crap. There's a brutal crime in New York. A woman stabbed. A postal worker. No, it was a dude. A delusional dude dressed as a woman. That's a dude. Well, the people keep telling me I need to say that crap because it's rude not to say that crap. No, just cut the crap. Need to get back to common sense.

[Michael]

How about the FBI saying this? We don't think this is a terrorist attack.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, she just stated this is not a terrorist event. Way before anybody could possibly draw any occlusion conclusion. That's garbage. That's crap. Uh, this is from JT and Livermore. Omg, Jack, who doesn't even understand how crypto. Crypto works or why anybody would go to Taco Bell, is trying to explain the multiverse. Either it's a sign of the impending apocalypse, or it is ironic proof that there is a multiverse because it would take an infinite number of universes to have one. Where Jack doesn't understand many things, but does understand what? The most complicated theories ever devised.

[Michael]

Well, it's a matter of.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's unnecessarily snide.

[Michael]

It's a matter of things I'm interested. Or not. I assume I could understand crypto if I ever read about it, but I haven't because I. I don't know. I just don't care yet. I probably should.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I don't like cliches, particularly modern ones, but I don't have the bandwidth. There's a pretty good statement.

[Michael]

I just.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't have time.

[Michael]

Right, Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Moving along. I love this marina in San Diego. Frequent correspondent. My family just visited Grapevine, Texas, The Christmas capital of Texas. Main street, all decked out, just Absolutely beautiful. It was like a Hallmark movie. We went over to the Life Size Nativity, waited for our turn to take a photo. Just then, a man with his wife and kids started pushing their way to the front, in front of us. Realizing this family may be from a country where pushing and shoving is the norm, I said politely, excuse me, but you need to wait your turn. We were next. We then took our photo, and as I returned to the group, I realized I almost had to throw down in front of baby Jesus on Christmas Eve.

[Michael]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

Rudeness. Not in my America. Sir. Marina from San Diego, man, the three.

[Michael]

Wise guys would have been going, tisk, tisk, tisk, as you rolled around on the ground with that dude.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or get him, get him. Because they saw what was happening in their wise.

[Michael]

Here, take my mer. Hit him in the head.

[Jack Armstrong]

Throw the mirror in his eyes.

[Michael]

It burns. Maybe he does. Nobody knows what MER is.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's see. Ted writes on Canada is the 51st state. Whoa, not so fast. Yes, Canada is very, very liberal, progressive. So before Canada becomes a state, we need to have a little transition period to deprogram them off their current socialist government mindset. First, they need to be a protectorate, like Guam or Puerto Rico. In fact, when you look at the definition of protectorate, Canada is practically one already. And I quote, a protectorate is a territory that is protected by a stronger state or entity, either militarily or diplomatically against third parties. The United States has several territories, including commonwealth and other territories.

[Michael]

Well, is that what some in Greenland are wanting to have happen? I listened to AP politician from Greenland on NPR this morning. He's all for coming under the umbrella of the United States.

[Jack Armstrong]

There is a lot to be said about this. It is not a crazy notion and we're not going to conquer it. We're going to buy it or, you know, enter into an agreement.

[Michael]

Ah, I'd like, kind of like to conquer it. You're on a ship on shore and somebody runs up on the beach and plants a flag.

[Jack Armstrong]

The Greenlanders are like, okay, it's got.

[Michael]

A lot to do with China, at least. The politician I heard this morning a lot more on the way. Stay with us.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unnamed Reporter]

Here is tourists seeing it looks like an incredible place. We've been talking about going for a while. I was actually supposed to be here last spring for some of the stuff.

[Michael]

I do in my free time as Donald Trump Jr. Landing in Greenland yesterday, being asked, asked obviously about his dad's speculation about Greenland becoming a state or something like that. And he said, oh, no, no, just coincidence. I've always wanted to come to Greenland and what? Come on, there's a tourist.

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

In my Trump jet, Right?

[Michael]

Just a coincidence. I meant to come earlier but didn't get around till like the day after my dad gave a big speech about having Greenland.

[Jack Armstrong]

So Trump made a handful of really intriguing statements at his long press conference. Yester news conference you call them these days because the press is irrelevant. Like the printing press, because that's where that term comes from. I think that's why they call it a news conference these days. Anyway. It's like not saying, I'll play you some tape. No, there's no tape. Anyway, so he said a couple of things. Number one, we're going to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. I'm down. Change the maps. I don't care. I'll pay for it. It's our golf now. Give it back. And besides, we surrounded as much as Mexico does. We drill, we maintain it. If something goes craz, we cleaned it up. It's our Gulf.

[Michael]

Does any. Is it. Was there any pushback on that? I assume the people that hate Trump were laughing at it like it's ridiculous, but it makes. Why? Why has it always been the Gulf.

[Jack Armstrong]

Of Mexico from America hating weasels? There's probably pushback. I mean, it's just the name. All right, it's our name now. Okay. Having said that, no blood has been spilled. We're just going to change the names. And, and, and also the idea of turning Canada into a state, which I don't think is going to happen. As JT pointed out mailbag, it practically is a protectorate now. We're going to table that motion for now. It is a sovereign country with functioning government.

[Michael]

Yeah, we don't have a treaty or anything, I don't think with Canada, but obviously if China assaulted Canada, we'd be all over it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah.

[Michael]

Not like we would allow that to.

[Jack Armstrong]

Happen in spite of the overlong tenure of WOKE Elvis. We need Justin Trudeau, who's ruined Canada with his WOKE politics and economics and the rest of it. Canada is a very close ally, huge trading partner, et cetera, and just really good people. So we will not be annexing Canada, in my opinion. On the other hand, the Greenland thing to me is really intriguing. And no, Trump's not gonna take it by force. That's just. Are you not used to Trump yet? He makes outlandish opening offers or threats or whatever, then he gets down to negotiating and you figure out what he actually wants. Is it the most Responsible way for a president to talk. Perhaps not, but it is what it is. He got elected.

[Michael]

Now, because I'm of medium iq, I can't help but when I picture Greenland, picture a big green country because it's in the name, the land of green. But it's not, right. It's not.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's ice, as they famously say. Just remember, Iceland is green and Greenland is icy. Okay, Greenland is actually a fascinating place and we don't have time to do the full boring geography lesson, but it is of growing strategic importance and I'm going to hit you with a couple of emails. Like Andrew in the Bay area, Trump is 100% right on Greenland. Not just because of the $10 trillion plus of energy resources and rare earth minerals it's estimating to hold, but also as a Navy JAG officer with a little knowledge of operational law, because of its geographic significance with respect to future sea lanes, the earth warming, whatever the cause, means sea lanes are opening in the Arctic and transiting those new routes between Asia, Europe and Americ takes a fraction of the time compared to the Panama or Suez Canals.

[Michael]

Wow, I didn't know that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Think $100 billion of, of goods being shipped every year taking half as long to reach their destination by ship and the billions that would save in cost. The first areas expected to open up are the lanes between the islands of Canada and Greenland. Grabbing Greenland would ensure having a hand in setting the policies on those new routes and maintaining freedom of the seas. Moreover, Russia is positioned as the nation with the most landmass bordering the Arctic and thus the most likely to try to control them. Adding Greenland coupled with Alaska, our friends in America's hat, and our Scandinavian friends in Finland and Sweden means we could rival Russia for who controls these new routes.

[Michael]

Well, and as I said, I was listening to NPR today and they had on a some high level Greenland politician who is for coming under the umbrella somehow of the United States. And I couldn't quite figure out what they were getting at there. They weren't talking about being a state and he, and he said absolutely no to the idea of the United States purchasing Greenland, although they, at least this guy hates the fact that they ended up somehow attached to Denmark and the.

[Jack Armstrong]

EU by extension, which is all sorts of screwed up.

[Michael]

But he was talking about China. He said Chinese ships are regularly about and they're surveilling us constantly and we don't like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So to get serious about this because it's a serious topic and, and again, if you get hung up on Trump's specific nomenclature you're going to get dragged off of what you ought to be talking about. Those C roots, for the reasons that Andrew spelled out so beautifully, are going to be incredibly important geopolitical targets in the next 50 years. I mean, like crazy important. And the idea that Greenland and we do have. I was about to get to this. We have a significant military base on Greenland. But the idea that Greenland and the might of Denmark and again, the awesome power of the EU would be sufficient to project the power of the free world on those sea routes is not realistic. It will take the United States and Trump's point of view on this as so many things is. All right, look, if we are going to be in charge of protecting it and projecting the power. Power of the free world around it, we gotta get a better deal. We're not gonna do it just because we're nice guys. So what that treaty looks like, I don't know. But it's of enormous geopolitical importance. And anybody gets hung up on making fun of Trump is an idiot. Couple more thoughts. This is Alvin and Berkeley. Yes.

[Michael]

So would they become anything official? Would they be like the Virgin Islands or anything like that or.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. I have no idea. There are a number of different options, but the whole frozen tundra, practically uninhabitable. Most of it ain't going to be true if the warming continues, and it probably won't. Who knows? The earth moves in cycles. But I liked this. Oh, here it is on Greenland. I think no one's talking about our military base in Thule, which I hope I'm pronouncing that correctly. Perhaps I am. Probably not. Which was put there to watch out for the Ruskies back in the day. I don't know what the US does there now. Also of note is that Greenland is a really is really a string of islands with a big canyon slash frozen lake in the middle. The earth really starts heating up. It will be a good source of fresh water rises up when the ice melts. Let's see, Greenland should be the 51st state. And then Joe from Dayton says, I laughed at Trump talking about invading Greenland. We already have a base there. Yeah, that's true. Formerly an air force base and now a space force base. Pitufic Space Base Bidoufik has a ballistic missile early warning system mission to detect inbound ICBMs. So yeah, we're already a big presence on Greenland.

[Michael]

Okay. Did not know that. Yeah, he learned something every day, don't you, Michael?

[Jack Armstrong]

You got to learn one more thing. In 1867, William H. Seward, Secretary of State Seward's Folly, the purchase of Alaska. Remember that? He wanted to buy Greenland and perhaps Iceland, but opposition in Congress ended the project. And then we tried, I think under Kennedy or somebody, somebody talked about buying. Oh in 1950 Denmark allowed the US to have a base. We tried to buy it and they said, no, thank you.

[Michael]

So I'm watching more NFL football than I've watched in a decade and a half, I think. I'm not exactly sure why, but it's just happened. Are you watching any games, Michael?

[Jack Armstrong]

Just a few here and there, yeah.

[Michael]

I'm. I'm a Chiefs fan obviously, but Lions, that can be very exciting. Very. How do you not root for the Detroit Lions and that coach and that fan base that has been without a good team like the entire time they've been watching? Oh yeah, very exciting stuff. Anyway, got the playoffs coming up this weekend and all kinds of opportunities for you. That's why you need to download the Price picks Apple. It's just a good idea and you can get involved in the action. I've been doing my research all the way. I'm done. I'm doing the research trying to get involved, you know, trying to figure out ahead of time what I'm going to do right now. You can win up to a thousand times the money that you're getting involved.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Michael]

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[Jack Armstrong]

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[Michael]

I just heard from another person that I know that coming down upon them apparently and has a mandatory evacuation area order in the LA area so it is going to be a long rough day for that and again, the long term overarching story as we mentioned is how are we going to fashion the relationship between banks, mortgages, homeowners and insurance? Because at least one big insurance company had dropped a bunch of these homes with their fire coverage just weeks ago. I don't know if they knew the fire was gone common or what.

[Jack Armstrong]

And if you are, you know, thinking well you know, to hell with the coasts, they're liberals and they have expensive, beautiful real estate and the good, good for them. We mentioned at the end of last year, actually I brought you the story that the, the south central US has seen an enormous building boom and there's so there are so many thunderstorms and hail storms there. That's been one of the big losses sources, loss whatever of the sources of losses of the big insurance companies. And so between the hurricanes and the wildfires and flooding and the hail in the middle of the country, you know, it's a lot of the country now with building costs as high as they are that it's just, it doesn't make sense for corporations to offer insurance there. They're losing too much money.

[Michael]

Yet it does make sense for people to be able to buy homes. So how do you make all that fit together? That's that I, I don't know what the way is out of this but California is going to be the leading edge of that and probably this whole LA thing that's happening right now gonna have to figure something out.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh yeah, I hope there are a couple of really smart senators and or congresspeople on both sides of the aisle that have this on their radar and are talking seriously about it because it could be a national financial crisis.

[Michael]

Yeah. Those homes that got dropped in their fire coverage just weeks ago, are some of these homes burning down with no insurance coverage?

[Jack Armstrong]

That's correct. Wow. Dropped this month. Are now burning down in LA County.

[Michael]

That'd be a life changing experience. Holy crap. We got Katie's headlines on the way. Stay here.

[Katie]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Michael]

Got a couple of nieces I got texts from. They missed three days of work because of the snowstorm that hit the Midwest. Finally got home. Airports finally opened up after several days in the Midwest of not flying. And then I just saw on TVA McDonald's I know well in the Pasadena area that is burnt to the ground. Mother Nature, man. Mother Nature.

[Jack Armstrong]

All powerful. Yeah, I would say all sorts of good stuff to get to next hour including some really good commentary and incredibly idiotic commentary about Facebook's move away from professional fact checkers. I can barely Spit those words out of my mouth. It's Orwellian to the extreme and all sorts of other good stuff. Anything you want to mention, Jack, or. Up to you? No. Okay, we'll move along then. Let's figure out who's reporting what. It's the lead story with Katie Green. Katie?

[Katie]

Well, as you guys know, the fires are the big story. So starting with NBC, three fires grow, forcing more than 80,000 evacuations around Los Angeles area.

[Michael]

So 3,000 acres for one fire, 3,200 2200 for another, 500 for another and then a bunch of smaller ones.

[Katie]

Yeah, another small one just started north and the winds have been pushing south which is worrying a lot of people in the Tarzana area.

[Michael]

100 mile an hour winds all day, they're expecting, that's hard to even imagine.

[Katie]

And from ktla, severe drought conditions fueling dangerous Palisades fire. They're saying it hasn't rained there in eight months.

[Jack Armstrong]

A fraction of the normal rainfall. Even as the northern part of the state, which is enormous and ungovernable and ought to be at least two different states, if not three. Northern California's gotten plenty of rain.

[Katie]

From ABC, Biden administration seeks stay of plea deal for alleged 911 mastermind Biden.

[Michael]

Stuck in LA right night he was in LA to fundraise or speak or something like that and he couldn't get out because of the fires. So he spent the night.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I have no idea.

[Katie]

From Fox News, Biden admits he might not have lasted another term if he had been re elected, quote, who the hell knows?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I do. You wouldn't have. You're too old.

[Michael]

Well that's, you know, then that wasn't really the problem. You dying in office is your brain didn't work, dude doesn't work.

[Katie]

From cnn, Green Beret who exploded cybertruck in Las Vegas used chat GPT to plan the blast.

[Michael]

Is there any greater significance to this story or is this a guy who just for a variety of reasons went crazy?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, the greater significance is our troops that have traumatic brain injury and ptsd, that sort of thing. That's what the story's about.

[Katie]

From Reuters made a shelves fact checking in policy reversal ahead of Trump administration.

[Michael]

Right. Everybody's catching on to the fact that you're just trying to stay out of trouble with a Republican Congress and president coming in and pretending that you're some sort of free speech warrior all of a sudden.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, I have a nuanced view. As I mentioned earlier, I believe on the topic, I think that's a tad Unfair. And I'll explain why.

[Michael]

I'd sure hate to be unfair to Mark Zuckerberg. Boy, would I feel bad about it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well said.

[Michael]

He. He was wearing a one million dollar watch in that video yesterday.

[Katie]

Did you see what I did? I saw that.

[Michael]

What? Yeah, people zoomed in on it. He's a, he's a watch collector. And, and, and you know, there are expensive watches, but then there's a one million dollar watch. It's actually $950,000, but close enough. Million dollars. Yeah, exactly.

[Katie]

From the New York Post. Quote, face bbls can undo horrid Ozempic face side effect. And people are spending thousands.

[Michael]

Okay, what's. What's have face BBL feel?

[Katie]

It's fillers and all because when you, when you go on Ozempic and you lose weight so quickly, your face starts to get this sunken in, lagging skin.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, yeah. It takes a while for your skin to catch up to your weight loss. Yeah, yeah.

[Katie]

So people are getting fillers and all sorts of stuff to bring their faces back to life.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right.

[Michael]

I'm sure that looks perfectly normal.

[Jack Armstrong]

What is, what does BBL mean? Is that what you said?

[Michael]

Make beautiful ladies?

[Katie]

There you go. It's a. But it's a butt lift. A Brazilian butt lift.

[Michael]

I don't want a butt lift on my face.

[Katie]

Yeah, they're getting butt lifts.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay.

[Katie]

And finally, from the Babylon Bee, Trump announces plan to rename the moon, quote, space America.

[Michael]

Go ahead. I just shot it. John Fetterman, Democratic senator from Pennsylvania, doing an interview, saying this whole Greenland conversation is absolutely responsible, which I appreciate.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Fetterman was on Special Report with Brett Baer last night. We'll play a couple of clips. I don't know, honestly, if it's the stroke or if he's just now able to show his true colors or what. I've never misjudged a politician as much as I've misjudged Fetterman.

[Michael]

Oh, yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I will say that he was talking about how Trump's cabinet nominees. He said, I'm talking to all of them. And the idea that that's controversial I don't get. He said, that's my job, so I'm going to do that. That. And he, and he gave a couple other examples. He said, in what way? Oh, he said, aliens, illegal aliens who've committed crimes ought to be booted out. He said, how can that be controversial? They came into our country illegally, then committed crimes. We want them out. Who's against that? I'm like, dude.

[Michael]

Well, it seems controversial. That a Democrat is saying that, but that's the mainstream of the Democratic Party. It's just we've lost that fact through Facebook and Twitter, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

Well, and because of the incredible volume of the far left progressive woke wing of the Democratic Party, they have volume, loudness and influence so far beyond what it ought to be. It's time to get rid of that. Right.

[Michael]

Those were mainstream opinions he was espousing. If you missed an hour, get the podcast. Armstrong and Getty on demand.

[Jack Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.